Dispensing container enabling a coil of a resilient, edged metal band to be formed therein

ABSTRACT

A container is disclosed that enables a long length of an edged metal resilient band, paper mill doctor blade stock for example, to be formed as a coil therein and dispensed to permit desired lengths to be cut therefrom. The container, which also serves as a shipping case, has a port through which an end of the band may be introduced and caught by a detachable winding key by which the coil is formed. The coil is within and confined by a circular series of rollers and the outer end of the contained band is held adjacent the exit port between a pair of members rotatable only in a band-dispensing direction. One of the rotatable members is movable into and out of its band-nipping position relative to the other to permit an end of another band to be introduced through the port when the container is to be refilled.

[ May 14, 1974 United States Patent [1 1 Mahoney 1 DISPENSING CONTAINER ENABLING A 759,531 10/1956 Great Britain..................... 242/68.7

COIL OF A RESILIENT, EDGED METAL BAND TO BE FORMED TllERElN Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz ABSTRACT [22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.: 166,737

A container is disclosed that enables a long length of an edged metal resilient band, paper mill d stock for example, to be formed as a coil therein and dispensed to permit desired len from. The container, which also serves as a sh case, has a port through which an end of the band ma be introduced and caught by a detachable windin by which the coil is'formed. The coil is within and confined by a circular series of rollers and the outer 50 2 OOJS 1 1 2 1 7 5 21 0 mu sfi 2 47 4 6 2 B ,R 5 a R mw 2 ",5 5 M55 W "55 0 "y e 2 m .n 5 W21 C s a in a u "m m 2 WW r 8 h u "r m "a2 n 5 u S L hf. C m m d2 5. Ld .l U .mF 1 .11 l. 2 8 6 5 55 5 .1 1.1 1

end of the contained band is held adjacent the exit port between a pair of members rotatable only in a band-dispensing direction. One of the rotatable UNITED STATES PATENTS members is movable into and out of its band-nipping positi n a m r e h S on relative to the other to permit an end of another 0 be introduced through the port when the cond e l m e r e b O t .n ma m m bm 3 5 5 5 2 4 2 S N .m ."f WA mm mL .WP P MA R m0 S m E T A P. N m E R 0 F 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 551,751 4/1923 France...............i............... 206/52 F IIIIIIII1 'IIIIII, y

I VIIIIII u I I I I, 1 .1, I I n I 1 DISPENSING CONTAINER ENABLING A COIL OF A RESILIENT, EDGED METAL BAND TO BE FORMED THEREIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container enabling a long length of an edged, resilient metal band, particu larly, but not necessarily, doctor blade stock, to be wound therein into a coil and to be so disposed that desired shorter lengths can be removed therefrom when needed.

At the present time, such doctor blades are machined and honed after first being cut to specific lengths. The finished blades are then shipped to the customer either stacked and boxed in containers of suitable lengths or they are coiled together in precut lengths and packaged and shipped in cut-coil form.

It has long been recognized that economy and convenience resulted if long lengths of blades were so packaged that shorter lengths could be dispensed when needed. Such advantages include less handling, less inventory, less storage space both for the blade manufacturer and its customers, and lower transportation charges. As a consequence, containers have been provided for such uses, primarily for the packaging of band saw blades. One such container is disclosed in the patent to Kolesh, No. 3,1 l5,242, the container having the band wound therein on a reel to be used both in coilforming during loading and also in unwinding or lengthdispensing operations.

The teachings of that patent are not adapted for use when the bands are of such relatively heavy and resilient stock as is used for doctor blades especially those for use in the paper and board coating industry. Such blade stock is from two to six inches in width and the length coiled in a container in accordance with the invention is desirably in the range of from one hundred fifty to four hundred feet so that frictional considerations are important, particularly in dispensing operations. As a reel cannot be used, aproblem also exists in the possible loss within the container of the outer band end.

THE PRESENT INVENTION I disclosed embodiment of the invention, the bandholding means is a pair of rotatable members, each rotatable in one direction only and located adjacent the container port to have a nip on the band.

Another objective of the present invention is to adapt the containers for use in forming the band coils therein, an objective attained by providing the container with a port at the axis of the coil to be formed to receive a winding key that is removed when the desired length of the band has been drawn within the container and by providing that the band-holding means is adjustable so as to release the band. In the disclosed embodiment,

one of the rotatable members is movable into a position in which the band is freed of the nip to provide that function.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an embodiment of the invention illustrative of these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a container for a coiled blade;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the loading of the container;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the container;

FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately along'the indicated lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 but showing the container holder and winding key;

FIG. 5 is a section, on an increase in scale, taken approximately along the indicated lines 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a section, on the scale of FIG. 5, but taken along the indicated lines 66 of FIG. 4.

A container in accordance with the invention is generally indicated at 10 and is shown as having a square frame providing side walls 11, one side having a transverse slot 12 adjacent one corner, a bottom 13 and a rim 14 formed with a marginal, recessed, circular seat 15. The proximate faces of the bottom 13 and the rim 14 are provided with marginal shoulders 13A and 14A, respectively, fitting within the side walls 11. A circular series of bolts 16 interconnect the rim l4 and bottom 13 in clamping relation to the side walls 11 and to prevent their ends from protruding, the bolts extend through the seat 15 and the underlying portion of a recess 138 in the outer surface of the bottom 13 centrally of which there is a hole 17.

A circular cover, indicated generally at 18, has a central recess 18A having a central hole 19 and a marginal shoulder establishing a raised flange 18B dimensioned to rest on the seat 15 interiorly of the series of bolts 16. The cover 18 is detachably secured to the container as by a bolt 20 having a head 20A dimensioned to overlie the hole 17 in the bottom 13 when the bolt is inserted upwardly through the cover hole 19 and secured by the nut 208.

The bolts 16 support a series of rollers 21 within which a coil C of blade stock 22 is formed and by which it is confined against expansion. Adjacent the slot 12, the bottom 13 and the rim 14 have, see FIG. 6, aligned recesses 13C and 14C through which the ends of the shafts 23 of one way rollers 24 and 25 extend and which accommodate the nuts 26 by which the shafts 23 are anchored against turning. The one way rollers are within the container closely adjacent the slot 12. The position of the roller 24 is fixed but the shaft of the roller 25 extends through transversely aligned slots 27 and 28 in the recesses 13C and 14C, respectively, enabling the roller 25 to be clamped closely adjacent the roller 24 or released to be moved away therefrom so that they may have a nip-establishing relationship with the blade stock 22 or so spaced that the blade stock may pass freely between them. The one way rollers 24 and 25 are arranged so that in their nip-establishing relationship the blade stock 22 is held against movement except in the dispensing direction. A roller 29 is supported by a bolt 30 extending through and locked to recessed areas in the rim 14 and the bottom 13, with only the rim recess 140 being shown, see FIG. L'The roller 29 is positioned to hold the outer end of the blade stock 22 tangentially relative to the coil C.

In preparing a container for shipment, the cover 18 is detached and the bolt 20 removed, and the container is placed in a square holder 31 with a key 32 centrally thereof. The one way rollers 24 and 25 are spaced apart to permit the free passage between them of an end of the blade stock 22 which is then caught by the key 32. The key 32 is turned until a desired length, 150 to 400 feet, for example, has been drawn into the container and formed into the coil C within the circular series of rollers 21. The one way roller 25 is then returned to and locked in its nip-establishing relation relative to the one way roller 24 and the blade stock 22 cut adjacent thereto. A circular edge protecting filler 33, conventionally of cardboard stock and of a thickness depending on the blade width is then inserted. The cover 18 is replaced and secured by the bolts 20. The container 10 is shown as provided with handles 34.

In practice, see FIG. 2, a large coil 35 of a metal band of suitable dimensions and otherwise suitable for doctor blade uses is rotatably supported to be unwound as the key 32 is turned, drawn'through an edging station 36, a dimpling station 37, and a blueing station 38, the function of the dimpling station being that of insuring adequate blade width for clamping purposes when a secured length of the blade stock is clamped in the apparatus for use.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention makes possible economies to the manufacturer and user in the production of blades when the resiliency of its coiled length of blade stock is such as to make it impossible to dispense desired lengths in other than containers in accordance with the invention.

1 claim:

1. A container into which a length of a resilient metal band is to be drawn by the rotation of a winding key and formed into a coil from which shorter lengths are to be withdrawn and severed, said container including top, bottom and side walls, one of said bottom and top walls having a central port to receive the winding key, said container having a side wall port dimensioned for the passage of the metal band therethrough and includ ing an internal, circular series of rollers within which the coil is to be formed and by which it is to be confined against expansion, said key port being located centrally of said series of rollers, and a pair of rotatable units attached to said container adjacent said port to receive said band between them, each of said units including means operable to prevent its rotation in a winding direction, and separate means connecting said units to said container in a relationship to provide a nip on the hand, one of said connecting means being adjustable to enable one unit to be spaced relative to the other to permit the free passage of the band therebetween when the coil is to be formed therein.

2. The container of claim 1 and a winding key including an end portion dimensioned to be entered into the container through the port and having a transverse slot dimensioned to receive and straddle a band end and then freed therefrom by relative axial movement between the container and the key after the key has been so turned to draw a desired length of the band into the container.

3. The container of claim 2 and a holder therefor operable to hold the container against turning as the key is being turned.

4. The container of claim 3 in which the holder and the container are polygonal.

5. The container of claim 1 in which the wall having the central port is the bottom wall and the top wall is in the form of a rim defining a central opening of substantial size, a cover is dimensioned to overlie said opening, means detachably attaching the cover to the container, the metal band has a finished edge disposed towards said top wall, and a filler dimensioned to be entered into the container through said opening overlies a major portion of the coil to protect said edge.

6. The container of claim 5 in which the circular series of rollers is located under said rim.

7. The container of claim in which the attaching means extends through and closes the key-receiving port.

8. The container of claim 1 in which the container includes an additional roller positioned to back the portion of the band between the circular series of rollers and said pair of rotatable units and is operable to maintain that portion of the band substantially tangential with respect to the coil. 

1. A container into which a length of a resilient metal band is to be drawn by the rotation of a winding key and formed into a coil from which shorter lengths are to be withdrawn and severed, said container including top, bottom and side walls, one of said bottom and top walls having a central port to receive the winding key, said container having a side wall port dimensioned for the passage of the metal band therethrough and including an internal, circular series of rollers within which the coil is to be formed and by which it is to be confined against expansion, said key port being located centrally of said series of rollers, and a pair of rotatable units attached to said container adjacent said port to receive said band between them, each of said units including means operable to prevent its rotation in a winding direction, and separate means connecting said units to said container in a relationship to provide a nip on the band, one of said connecting means being adjustable to enable one unit to be spaced relative to the other to permit the free passage of the band therebetween when the coil is to be formed therein.
 2. The container of claim 1 and a winding key including an end portion dimensioned to be entered into the container through the port and having a transverse slot dimensioned to receive and straddle a band end and then freed therefrom by relative axial movement between the container and the key after the key has been so turned to draw a desired length of the band into the container.
 3. The container of claim 2 and a holder therefor operable to hold the container against turning as the key is being turned.
 4. The container of claim 3 in which the holder and the container are polygonal.
 5. The container of claim 1 in which the wall having the central port is the bottom wall and the top wall is in the form of a rim defining a central opening of substantial size, a cover is dimensioned to overlie said opening, means detachably attaching the cover to the container, the metal band has a finished edge disposed towards said top wall, and a filler dimensioned to be entered into the container through said opening overlies a major portion of the coil to protect said eDge.
 6. The container of claim 5 in which the circular series of rollers is located under said rim.
 7. The container of claim 5 in which the attaching means extends through and closes the key-receiving port.
 8. The container of claim 1 in which the container includes an additional roller positioned to back the portion of the band between the circular series of rollers and said pair of rotatable units and is operable to maintain that portion of the band substantially tangential with respect to the coil. 